Jefferson doing his part to help sack breast cancer

TORONTO — The effects of breast cancer have struck close to home for Willie Jefferson.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders’ defensive end watched his grandmother Theresa deal with the disease before dying in 2015 at age 82.

That experience contributed to Jefferson becoming an ambassador with Cameco Touchdown For Dreams. The program — a partnership between Cameco, the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency and the Roughriders — grants wishes to women who’ve been diagnosed with life-threatening cancer.

Jefferson approached representatives from Touchdown for Dreams after the 2016 CFL season. He wanted to become involved in the initiative as a way of honouring his grandmother.

“I didn’t want to be someone who just stands in the background,’’ Jefferson said. “My grandmother was affected by breast cancer and there were other people in my family who had it. I didn’t want to be a bystander because that’s not the type of person that I am.’’

Through the program, Jefferson has devoted countless hours getting to know some of the women who are battling cancer.

He has been inspired by their courage.

“Those women just don’t sit around waiting for help,’’ Jefferson said. “They are regular people with everyday lives and everyday jobs. They want to be part of the community as much as they can. To see them go out of their way with their situation, I don’t have any reason not to try and help out.”

October is Breast Cancer Month and some CFL players will be wearing pink to raise awareness. Jefferson plans to wear pink tape on his wrists and shoes when the Riders visit the Toronto Argonauts on Saturday at BMO Field.

“Wearing pink means that I get to represent my grandmother and everything she went through,’’ Jefferson said. “I want to show people that it’s not just about me and I want to help out as much as I can.’’

Jefferson has also contributed to helping the victims of Hurricane Harvey in his hometown of Beaumont, Tex., and in Houston, where he lives during the off-season.

“Things are getting back to normal with kids starting to go back to school and people going back to work,’’ Jefferson, 26, said. “People are also still rebuilding because their houses were destroyed and they need help. People lost transportation, food and all other kinds of stuff. We’re still trying to get supplies to people who still really need it because they are living in shelters. The storm might be over, but we’re still dealing with the recovery.”

Jefferson has been involved in kind of endeavours while maintaining a high level of play. Prior to Saturday’s game, he was tied for the league lead in sacks (five). He is the sole leader in quarterback pressures (27) and has chipped in 37 defensive tackles, five knockdowns, a forced fumble and one tackle for a loss. He also blocked a punt, then scooped up the loose ball and scored a touchdown in a 54-31 win over the Edmonton Eskimos on Aug. 25.

“He’s like the Energizer bunny,’’ said Riders quarterback Kevin Glenn. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a pass or a run, he’s playing both. Sometimes pass rushers are categorized as just pass rushers. He’s a guy who can play the run and play the pass. That’s why he’s having so much success, because the offensive tackles don’t know how to contain or block him.’’

At 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, Jefferson has the length, size and speed to challenge offensive linemen. He also added more strength since joining the CFL in 2014 with Edmonton.

“When I first came into the league, I was a young defensive end still trying to learn my position,’’ said Jefferson, who was a receiver in college. “I was trying to learn the game from a CFL perspective. Having been in the league for as long as I have, I’ve learned from the people around me. I’ve been blessed to be in my position.’’

After sharing in Edmonton’s Grey Cup victory in 2015, Jefferson attempted to land a spot in the NFL. When that didn’t turn out, he signed with Saskatchewan as a free agent in 2016.

Jefferson hasn’t given up on the NFL dream but — for now — he’s content playing in the CFL.

“I’m focused on the Roughriders and bringing a Grey Cup to Regina,’’ Jefferson said.

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